Egg-opener



No. 69!,389. v 'Patnted Jan. 2!,1902.

W. A. KENDRICK.

E G G 0 P E N E R.

(Application filed May 6, 1901.)

4N0 Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM A. KENDRICK, OF YALESVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALFTO CHARLES MADEIRA, OF YALESVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

EGG-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,389, dated January21, 1902.

Application filed May 6, 1901. Serial'No. 58,921. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM A. KENDEIoK,a citizen of the United States,residing at Yalesville, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inEgg-Openers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to egg-openers, and has for its object to form anegg-opener composed of two cup-shaped members formed of thin flexibleelastic metal or other material having such qualities, whereby the sidesmay be pressed inwardly by the hand, so as to cause the sides of thecup-shaped members to bear against the egg, said sides resuming theirnormal shape or position by reason of their elasticity upon removing thepressure of the hand.

It has further for its object to provide an opener composed of twocup-shaped members with elastic puncturing-blades, one of which bladesis formed with a double point, the points being spaced apart, so thatwhen the blade is pressed inwardly the two points of the blade will bearagainst the egg-shell at opposite points of the curved portion of theegg-shell lying between the points, so as to prevent the egg fromturning as the puncturing-points are pressed inwardly.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects ashereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction and inthe combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and thensought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- I Figure lis a side elevation of the eggopener with the two cup-shaped membersclosed. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showingan egg within the device and indicating by dotted lines one side of thetwo members pressed inwardly against the egg; and Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the device, showing one of the cup-shaped members raised.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates two cup-shaped members joinedtogether by ahinge 2 and each of them havinga supporting-base 3, so thatthe device canset with either end up. The cup-shaped members 1 areformed of flexible elastic metal or other equivalent material havingsuch properties, so that if an egg be smaller than the diameter of thecup-shaped members the wall or side of said members may be pressedinwardly by the hand, so as to reduce the cross area of the members andcause the wall to bear against the egg, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 2 of the drawings. As soon as the pressure of the hand is releasedthe elasticity of the thin flexible metal or other material causes thesides of the cup-shaped members to assume their normal shape. This is ofimportance, because it avoids the necessity of employing springs insideof the cup-shaped members in order to accommodate eggs of differentsizes. These cup-shaped members may be spun or otherwise formed out ofthin metal having the properties mentioned.

For the purpose of puncturing the eggshell so that the shell may befractured for the purpose of opening the egg I provide two spring-blades4 and 5, one attached to each otthe cup-shaped members, both of whichblades are formed with inturned points 6, adapted to puncture theegg-shell when pressed inwardly, said points working in a slot 7, formedat the junction between the two cup-shaped members. In order that theegg may be prevented from turning Within the cup-shaped members as thepoints come in contact with the shell, which sometimes is liable tohappen when the blades are pressed inwardly and which when it occursmakes it more difficult to puncture the shell, I form one of the blades5 with a double point by providing it with two of the inturned points 6,as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, said points being spacedapart, as there indicated, so that they will lie on opposite sides ofthe curved portion of the egg-shell fitting between the two points, andthus by gripping the shell at such two points of its curved surface thepoints will serve to prevent the shell from turning, and thus facilitatepuncturing the shell by the points of the spring puncturing-blades. Asthe two blades are arranged as shown in the drawings the single point ofone blade will fit between the two points of'the other blade, asindicated by Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus facilitating the puncturing ofthe egg-shell and the separation of the two parts of the shell afterbeing fractured and when the two cup-shaped members are opened.

An egg-opener constructed as described possesses the advantagesmentioned and is simple in its construction and efficient in theoperation of its parts and ornamental in appearance.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claimis 1. An egg-opener consisting of two cupshaped members hinged togetherand formed of thin flexible elastic material permitting the sides to bepressed inwardly and adapted to assume their normal shape when thepressure is relieved, and'provided with spring puncturing-blades tofracture an'egg-shell, substantially as described.

2. An egg-opener consisting of two cupshaped members formed each offlexible elastic material provided with puncturing-blades, substantiallyas described.

3. An egg-opener consisting of two cupshaped members provided withspring puncturing-blades, one of said -blades being douhie-pointed, thepoints being spaced apart to permit a portion of an egg-shell to liebetween and back of said points, substantially as described.

4'. An egg-opener consisting of two cupshaped members formed of flexibleelastic material and provided with puncturing-blades one of which isdouble-pointed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM- A. K ENDRIOK.

Witnesses:

W. S. HoToHKIss, W. S. SMITH.

